The stage is set for a dream FIFA World Cup final as defending champions Argentina take on Spain in a clash between football’s greatest icon and its brightest young star at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday (3am on Monday Singapore time).
Lionel Messi’s Argentina booked their place in the final after coming from behind to defeat England 2-1 on July 16, while Spain advanced with a victory over France on July 15. The showdown pits the tournament’s most potent attack against its strongest defence.
Argentina have scored a tournament-high 19 goals and are chasing a fourth World Cup title. A victory would also make them the first team since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the trophy. Spain, world champions in 2010, have conceded just one goal throughout the tournament and are aiming to lift the World Cup for only the second time.
The final also marks a symbolic passing of the torch. Messi, widely regarded as one of football’s greatest players, will face Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, who has emerged as one of the stars of the tournament.
Adding to the intrigue is a famous photograph taken in 2007 during a UNICEF event, showing a young Messi posing with a baby during a charity photoshoot. That baby was Yamal, making Sunday’s meeting a remarkable full-circle moment in football history.
Originally, South American champions Argentina and European champions Spain were due to meet in the Finalissima earlier this year in Qatar, but the match was cancelled because of security concerns arising from tensions in the Middle East. Instead, the two highest-ranked teams in the FIFA rankings will now meet on football’s biggest stage.
The spectacle will extend beyond the pitch. FIFA has planned an elaborate pre-match closing ceremony and a Super Bowl-style half-time entertainment show featuring global stars including Madonna, Shakira, BTS, Justin Bieber, Burna Boy, Robbie Williams, Jennifer Hudson and others.
The musical extravaganza is expected to extend the traditional 15-minute interval to around 25 minutes, making it one of the most ambitious entertainment productions ever staged at a FIFA World Cup final.
